


Saving me by saving lives

by Turnthelighton



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, but not jenny, i think everyomne will make an appearance, society meet, sporty deels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-11 15:55:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11717616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turnthelighton/pseuds/Turnthelighton
Summary: Pats and Deels both join the first aid society at university and a relationship blossoms from there through a series of encounters with a lot of bandages and plasters.





	1. Mornings

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first ever fic but its an idea I've been playing round with in my head for a while so here you go! Pats and Deels are loosely based off Kate and Emerald's real personalities because I love them both so much. esp Kate for cycling back to the UK from Bulgaria, what a treasure.  
> thanks to Patsy_Mount for the encouragement and help with the first chapter!  
> I've written the first few chapters but i'll stick to updating fairly regularly

Delia Busby loved mornings. She always used them to their fullest extent because she loved to cycle as the day was starting, as it reminded her of being home in Tenby. This Saturday morning was no different, by half past 7 Delia had cycled 20km in the woodland around the university campus and was getting ready for her day ahead. Today was the first First Aid society meeting and she was excited. Delia had always had a passion for helping people and whilst she was studying Sport Science she had always fancied being a nurse so she had thought by joining this society she could give both things a go.  
‘Right Busby, time to get yourself showered and sorted because you need to make an effort to be remotely on time for this, unlike the rest of your life’, Delia muttered to herself as she got dressed completing her look with her signature battered converse and bun in her hair. Delia left her room and walked into the shared kitchen in her flat where she saw her roommate and best friend, Trixie Franklin, nursing a mug of coffee and looking a little worse for wear.  
‘Rough night Trix?’, Delia chuckled as she busied herself making her protein filled breakfast.  
‘I have never felt so awful in all my life’ Trixie muttered, ‘ I genuinely think I might have been poisoned’.  
‘Where were you last night then? Give me all the gossip’  
‘Weeeelllll I may have completed the walk of shame this morning!!!’  
‘BEATRIX FRANKLIN, just a normal Saturday then’ Delia winked at Trixie as she joked with her. Trixie was a party animal and had a very long streak of not sleeping at her own flat on a Friday night that she was doing extremely well to maintain. Trixie shot her look in return that made Delia laugh even more.  
‘Yes well maybe you’re right but this time it was with a very cute girl called Barbara so I think you’ll approve! Plus she seems much nicer than any guy EVER, she already text me to see if I got home safe’  
‘Well she sounds like an absolute delight and I’d love to find out even more about your future wife but I’m going to be late for my first First aid society meeting so I’ve gotta run!’ Delia was smiling to herself as Trixie told her this because she was so proud of her best friend for coming to terms with her bisexuality so easily and being so confident and open about it.  
‘Okay sweetie have fun, I’ll see you later for musicals and take out yes??’ Trixie called after Delia as she picked up her bike helmet from her room, Delia Busby was nothing if not over cautious when it came to bike safety.  
‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world. See you later Trix’ Delia shouted back as she ran out the flat.  
\--  
Patsy Mount also loved mornings but for an entirely different reason to a certain Delia Busby. Patsy loved mornings because it meant she could be awake and out in the world when it was the most quiet and she didn’t have to put on her day to day façade and she could just be herself for a little while. Patsy had found a secluded spot in the woodlands behind the university campus where she could see the campus and watch the sunrise but she knew she couldn’t be seen from where she was. She loved more than nothing else to sit up there with a flask of strong, black coffee and her favourite book and just feel peaceful before she had to start dealing with interactions with other people. This Saturday morning Patsy’s rest time was cut short because she was going to join the First Aid society and the meeting started at 11. Patsy was nervous about meeting even more new people but she felt very strongly about being able to help others if needed. Patsy had chosen to study English as her degree because she loved being able to express herself through the written word, especially through fantasy stories but certain experiences in her past had left her always wanting to be able to help others whenever they needed it.  
As Patsy made her way back to her flat she bumped into Mary-Cynthia who was a friend from her classics module, Patsy and Mary-Cynthia had been paired together to work on a presentation project and they had become friendly since then. They enjoyed eating lunch together and Mary-Cynthia was also a quiet and private person just like Patsy so she never felt pressured to reveal too much about herself.  
‘Oh hello Patsy’ Cynthia smiled kindly at Patsy ‘where are you off to this morning?’  
‘It’s the First Aid society meet this morning so I’m just off to grab some breakfast and then going to head over. I’ll probably go to the library afterwards to start working on that classics essay that Phyllis set, it takes me so long to get those right I need all the time I can!’  
‘Oh yes I’d forgotten about that essay! I’d better get started myself actually. Well enjoy your meet and I might bump into you later, bye Patsy’ Cynthia smiled warmly as she left and Patsy felt a bit more confident about going to this meeting now, she really hoped she would meet someone as kind as Mary-Cynthia there.  
Patsy was one of the last to arrive at the meeting after she had seen Mary Cynthia and there were only two chairs left to pick from, one next to a young lad or one next to a petite brunette girl, ‘Gotta give yourself a chance with making friends Patience, go sit with her’, Patsy thought to herself. Just as Patsy started to walk over to the chair, the girl looked over and made direct eye contact with Patsy and smiled the most beautiful and genuine smile Patsy had seen in a while, it was so kind it made Patsy’s stomach flip and she found herself returning the smile without even thinking about it.  
\--  
As Delia looked up at who was walking toward the chair next to her she had never been so glad she joined this society, the tall redhead walking her way was absolutely stunning and Delia found herself breaking out into a massive smile which widened even more when she saw it was returned by the girl.  
‘Damn Busby, she’s stunning, now play it cool and remember how to speak’, Delia was thinking to herself as the girl walked over.  
‘Is this seat taken or am I alright to sit here?’ Patsy asked because she didn’t want to sit in someone else’s seat just because she really wanted to make friends with the incredibly cute brunette in front of her.  
‘Um no its free please sit, I’m Delia by the way’ Delia couldn’t take her eyes off the gorgeous sight in front of her.  
‘Thank you Delia, Patience Mount’, Patsy cursed her upbringing for making her always sound like an upper class housewife ‘ but I mean please call me Patsy.’


	2. Burn Cream

As Patsy settled into her seat she saw the leader of the society, Julienne the head first aider, start to set up the equipment needed for the session, she noticed that she was getting out large quantities of burn cream and cling film wrap.   
‘It seems to be burns this week’ Patsy thought to herself, ‘okay good because we know you can handle burns without freaking out.’  
Just as Patsy was thinking this Delia leant over and whispered ‘Oooh I think we are doing burns! That’s good because I was really worried that it was going to be something hard and I was going to show myself up in front of everyone but I’ve always been so clumsy that my Mam has been teaching me how to treat my own burns since I was a child’.   
As Delia leant away again chuckling to herself, Patsy found herself lost in the younger girls soft Welsh accent and had to really shake herself in order to be able to form a coherent sentence in reply.   
‘Yes it is rather lucky isn’t it, I was hoping they weren’t going to have us out saving people this quickly!’   
Delia wholeheartedly giggled in response to Patsy’s sarcasm and Patsy felt her stomach tighten at the sound because she was honestly convinced she had never heard anything so lovely in all her life. Once again Patsy found herself having to get a handle on her thoughts quickly so she could listen to what Julienne was telling them about the society and what they were planning to do this session.   
‘Hello everyone, I’m very pleased with the number of you that have decided you are interested in becoming fully trained first aiders this year as it is a very important life skill to help to keep the people you love and also people who are in need safe. Over this 12 week course you will be learning a range of skills from how to properly disinfect a cut to how to give CPR. This week we are starting with the correct bandaging and cleaning of burn wounds because it is a little more exciting than disinfecting cuts, I think you’ll all agree!’ Julienne chuckled along with a few others in the group, ‘now if you could all watch closely I will demonstrate the correct way to handle a burn with Winifred here who completed her first aid training last year’.  
__  
As Delia watched Julienne and Winifred demonstrate the correct wrapping of a burn she didn’t pay much attention because she had learnt this process from a young age, whilst she was not paying any attention she found herself thinking about how lovely Patsy seemed, granted she was basing her judgement on about 3 sentences and the fact that she was so easy on the eye. But Delia was sure that she was going to become firm friends with her, or at least she hoped they could be friends.   
When Delia heard Julienne saying that the demo had finished and that they needed to pair up with someone to practice the treatment on, she instantly jumped at the chance to ask Patsy to work with her.   
‘ Pats if I go and get the bits do you want to save my seat and we can work together?’ Delia knew it was a very brazen way to ask Patsy to work with her but she didn’t want to miss the opportunity and being cheeky was her way of coping when she got nervous in the presence of stunning women. Although Patsy looked a bit taken aback by the confident suggestion but she smiled and agreed with Delia’s plan.   
As Delia walked away to gather the supplies they needed for the exercise she noticed that Patsy’s eyes lingered on her retreating form for a little longer than usual, this did absolutely nothing to help Delia stop thinking about Patsy, if anything it was making the situation worse. She quickly picked up the cream and the cling film and walked over to Patsy who was smiling politely at her as she made her way back.   
‘Right as I was not paying attention at all because I have the attention span of a 4 year old, I’ll let you go first so I don’t make some horrible mistake and end up tying us together with this cling film’ Delia finished the joke and then had to look abruptly away because she realised she may have crossed a line saying that to Patsy who she had only met approximately 15 minutes ago. Luckily for Delia, Patsy chuckled at her and replied   
‘Gosh yes that probably is for the best I may have never treated a burn before but I’m almost 100% sure that’s not the best approach!’  
__   
Patsy started applying the cream to Delia’s arm just below her elbow and couldn’t help but think about the fact that she didn’t think that she had ever touched someone this soon after meeting them but also at the same time, how it wasn’t making her quite as uncomfortable as physical contact usually did.   
‘Good this might mean you’re getting over yourself and it might make you a bit easier to become friends with’ she thought to herself as she hoped that Delia would want to be friends with her too. Patsy finished her meticulous wrapping of the bandage on Delia’s arm just as Julienne walked past and commended Patsy on her incredibly neat work.   
‘Oh well done, that is absolutely perfect work. Wrapping a burn like this with that amount of burn cream would ensure that the heat started to be absorbed and stopped the burn from developing even further! What was your name dear?’   
‘Patsy, and this is Delia who has been the most excellent dummy!’  
‘Well Patsy, I am impressed and if that standard continues you will be a very proficient first aider by the end of this course’ Julienne smiled at Patsy as she made to continue her rounds of the rest of the group.   
As Julienne moved away, Patsy felt a small, warm hand on her arm and turned to see Delia beaming at her, ‘Well done Pats! That was so good, she looked so impressed with you, you’re definitely top of the class! Now I better practice and I’ll take care not to show you up…..too much’.   
As Delia started to rub the burn cream onto Patsy’s arm she could hear her chattering away about all the scrapes she used to get into at home in Wales, and how her mam must have been a trained first aider with the amount of times she had had to patch her up but Patsy was finding it hard to concentrate because she couldn’t stop thinking about, and looking at, the warm hand that was applying the practice treatment to her arm.   
‘Patience get a grip’ Patsy chastised herself for letting herself get so carried away with thinking about Delia’s hand on her arm ‘she’s just friendly and you’re being ridiculous thinking she would even want to be friends, let alone any other ridiculous thoughts you’re having!’   
__

‘Patsy!’ Delia said a little louder for the third time as she was seemingly unable to gain the attention of the somewhat distracted redhead. Patsy looked a little flustered as a looked across at her and Delia smirked wondering what she could have been thinking about.   
‘Yes Delia? Sorry I was entirely in my own world there’  
‘Yes Pats I could tell. Anyway look I finished your bandage! Now I know we both know you’re the new pro but I think this is pretty good, don’t you??’ Delia winked at Patsy as she joked.   
‘You know what I think you’re right, it’s good but it’s not Mount quality’ Patsy quipped back and Delia chuckled, just as Julienne started addressing the group,  
‘Right everyone, very well done this week, lots of lovely bandage work there. Let’s end this week there and I’ll see you all back here same time next week for disinfecting cuts! Have a lovely week guys’.   
As Patsy started picking up her bag to leave, Delia felt compelled to say bye and to make sure they’d see each other again next week ‘Bye Pats, it was lovely to meet you and I’ll see you same time, same place yeah?’   
‘Of course Deels, I couldn’t BE more excited to learn how to disinfect a cut. It was a pleasure to meet you and have a lovely week, I hope you don’t have to save any burns victims’.  
Delia smiled as she walked away and only once she was halfway back to her flat did she realise Patsy had called her ‘Deels’ and the more she thought about it, the more she realised she’d like her to call her ‘Deels’ more often. What a wonderful Saturday this had shaped out to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been swamped with adult things this week like work and prep for uni, its not pleasant. i'm gonna try my best to get a few more chapters written this weekend and update again soon!


	3. Distractions

Once Delia got back to her flat, she tried to sit down and write her human physiology paper but she kept distracting by little things and more often than not it was the sound of Patsy calling her ‘Deels’ that was distracting her from her assignment. So after almost two hours of trying and only producing a half way decent plan and introduction, Delia decided she would be better off going and doing something for the afternoon rather than sending herself insane indoors, so she texted her friend from climbing, Val, to see if she was free to spend a few hours at the climbing centre. Luckily for her, Val had been having very similar thoughts and was already half way to the climbing centre so Delia was able to join her and spend the afternoon there.   
As was tradition, her and Val went to the old café opposite the climbing centre which was owned by a very stern looking but extremely friendly woman named Phyllis, Delia had been coming here so long she felt like Phyllis was almost an Aunty to her and she loved listening to her stories from around the world when the café was quiet, which wasn’t as often as Delia would like.   
‘Hello you two, the usual?’ Phyllis asked as they sat down at their favourite booth by the 1950’s style juke box.   
‘Yes please, I think this one here needs decaf today though she’s been bouncing off the walls with excitement about something all afternoon’ Val chuckled as she pointed at Delia who was being uncharacteristically fidgety.   
‘Oi it’s hardly unusual for me to get distracted and not want to do my assignments is it?’   
‘I guess so but you do seem extra distracted today, has something stolen your attention?’ Val queried as Phyllis brought over their coffees.   
‘Or maybe someone has caught her attention, hey lass’ Phyllis suggested to the pair, and noted how Delia had flushed with embarrassment.   
‘Ooooh Busby is that true, I bet it is! Did you meet at that first aid meeting? Or was it at the gym? Come on spill!’ Val was insistent about getting Delia to spill all the information about who had caught her eye but Delia was not having any of it, after all they’d only spoken once and she highly doubted that Patsy was as distracted by Delia as she was by Patsy.   
‘There’s nothing to tell Val, I made a friend at the first aid meeting yes, but we have only met once so there is clearly nothing to get excited about now’ although Delia had found herself hoping that there might be something to get excited about further down the line but she didn’t want to presume anything yet. Val could tell she wasn’t going to get any information out of the brunette today so decided to drop the conversation until a later date.   
After an hour or so in the café, both girls decided that they really did need to go home and work on their assignments so bade their goodbyes until their usual climbing slot on a Tuesday evening.   
__   
Patsy had felt like dancing all day. She couldn’t work out what had put her in this great mood but she was sure it wasn’t the classics essay she was trying to write because those we her least favourite assignments and the only essays she struggled to get high marks on. However, Patsy did not allow herself to become distracted easily and she certainly never allowed herself to give up so she continued to work all through the afternoon and late into the evening until she had finished her assignment.   
By 9pm Patsy was exhausted and extremely hungry so she decided to go back to her flat and order a takeaway with Tony, who was her flatmate and they had become close friends since Tony’s ex-girlfriend had outed him in front of half the student body and Patsy had comforted him a few months back. They had since made it tradition that they had a takeaway on a Saturday night together to catch up about the goings on of their weeks.   
‘Okay so you know how you’ve joined this first aid society? I have been thinking that I need to join something to give me a life outside of my course.’ Tony mused as they tucked into their Chinese.  
‘Mmm good plan, what were you thinking of doing because it has to be said the thought of you cleaning up blood at a first aid course is laughable!’  
‘Well Patience, I think you’ll find that if someone needed me I’d know exactly how to phone you and get you to come and help’ Patsy rolled her eyes in response ‘ but I was actually thinking of joining the LGBT society, ever since I got outed I’ve still sort of been hiding away but I think it’s time for me to own the new, more fabulous and more gay Tony! So I think I’m going to go to the meeting next Thursday’   
‘Well I think that is a wonderful idea Tony! It’ll give you a chance to meet someone and stop you moaning to me about how lonely you are and how beautiful all men are’   
‘EXACTLY! Hopefully everyone will be lovely and we can have the biggest gay time ever! You should come too, you need an outlet for your raging homosexuality too Patience!’ Tony glanced after to gauge Patsy’s reaction.   
‘Um yeah no thank you, I’m perfectly content not being out to the entire university and just informing people on a need to know basis’ much to Patsy’s surprise as she said this to Tony, Delia popped into her head and she noted that maybe she should subtly let Delia know, just in case.   
After several hours of gossiping to Tony about their respective weeks, Patsy called it a night and went to bed where she reflected on the day she’d had. ‘Not a bad day all in all, first aid training was good and meeting an extremely cute girl was the icing on the cake. Let’s see what next week brings’ Patsy slept peacefully that night, which may have been attributed to the wine she had been drinking, and she dreamt of bandages and Welsh accents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm about to move halfway across the country to the wilderness of Wales for university so I've been frantically trying to sort my life out so updates may be sparse till i'm all settled in there! Hope you're all enjoying

**Author's Note:**

> hope this was okay! please leave a comment with any thoughts/feelings/comments and suggestions:) constructive criticism welcomed and thank you for reading


End file.
